1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally is related to framing for wooden structures and more specifically to a system of components for facilitating framing operations and for providing increased structural integrity.
2. Description of Related Art
Many buildings, including most residential homes, have wooden frames. Generally speaking a wooden frame comprises vertical spaced wooden studs extending between upper and lower wooden plates. Studs abut against counterfacing, horizontal plate surfaces and may be end-nailed or toe-nailed to the plates. In some structures metal brackets may fasten each end of a stud to its adjoining plate. Forming a wooden frame for a structure using conventional wooden plates and studs, particularly at a construction site, is labor intensive and can increase the construction costs for such structures.
It has been found that high wind conditions generate twisting forces on structures. With the ends of wooden studs butted against the top and bottom plates, this housing can cause the stud-to-plate fastening, in whatever conventional form, to fail. When this occurs, the structure is severely weakened and subject to damage or destruction.
From time to time, proposals have been made to provide wooden plates with mortise-like notches at each stud location. Examples of such specially prepared wooden plates are shown in:
The York and Alcott patents are generally characterized by forming notches or mortises in specially formed or milled structures. The Wilson and Gunnison patents disclose double studs or stud portions that are designed to support cross members. The Wirch patent discloses conventional plates formed of conventional lumber with notches for receiving studs.
Typically plates in a wooden structure are formed of commercially available lumber. For example, residential houses plates are formed by two-by-four or two-by-six lumber. These values define a nominal dimension. However, the actual or measured thickness of standard two-by-four inch and two-by-six lumber is 1xc2xd inches. Placing notches of any significant depth in standard wooden plates results in a tradeoff between the strength of the plate and the depth of a notch. For example, if a xc2xdxe2x80x3 deep notch is formed in a plate, the thickness of the plate at the notch is reduced by ⅓. Consequently while a notch tends to provide a stronger fastening between a stud and a plate, it comes at a cost of reducing the plate strength.
The foregoing patents disclose wall framing. The Wilson patent also discloses a conventional approach for forming a corner structure. In this case two studs are spaced. At an adjacent wall a two-by-four stud overlies the outer stud and spacers. This provides two 1xc2xdxe2x80x3 perpendicular nailing surfaces at the corner. The Gunnison patent discloses specifically formed machined corner structures. Such specially machined structures can increase construction costs.
Notwithstanding these proposals, the framing for wooden structures generally continues to follow the conventional practice of end-nailing or toe-nailing studs to upper and lower plates. What is needed is a system of framing components that are readily manufactured, that facilitate construction to minimize construction cost and that improve the overall structural integrity even under severe atmospheric conditions.
Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide a framing system with plates that facilitate framing operations.
Another object of this invention is to provide a framing system with components that provide increased structural integrity.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a framing system that provides a structure that is less susceptible to failure when twisting, particularly under certain wind conditions.
In accordance with one aspect of this invention, a frame for a wooden structure includes wooden plates and studs wherein the studs have a length, width and thickness and the plates have a length and have a width corresponding to the width of the studs. In addition, the plates are formed from lumber having a nominal thickness specification with a plurality of transverse notches across the width of the plate for receiving the end of a stud. Each notch has a predetermined depth. The total plate thickness corresponds to the specified nominal plate thickness and the depth of the notch whereby the end of each stud is held within a notch in a finished frame.